And Dangerous to Know
Episode Name: And Dangerous to Know Written By: Ghorev Cast: Ghorev, Golden, Medes, Park, Starfleet, Stewart, Turtledove and Tyler. Produced By: Starfleet Directed By: Ghorev Aired On: Sat Jun 21 09:54:17 2003 Stardate: 53304.5
Time: Thu Jun 19 19:16:44 2003
Stardate: 53300.6
The simulated bridge of USS Thomas Paine is clearly running on a skeleton crew at the moment. The light gleaming softly off the polished chrome clearly illuminates an Andorian, seated at center chair, who has clearly been working a Very Long Shift. Only Medes is at a backwall station, that being Engineering -- the Science, Medical, and Mission Ops stations are empty and silent. Other than that, Helm and Tactical are manned by anonymous human Ensigns, and Ops by an equally anonymous youthful Vulcan wearing Academy Cadet Grey ... all very generic looking.
"Ship's Log, USS Thomas Paine-C, Stardate 53310.2, Commander Akeen Ghorev, Executive Officer, Station 419-Upsilon, Dulcais Sector, in command ... It has been two hours since I ordered our departure from Bak'TUR, following the mostly successful participation by Four-One-Nine's Rapid Response Team and Science Section in the pre-excavacation survey and reconaissance of the radioactive ruins that were once Bak'TUR's largest cities before the nuclear strikes a year ago. Thanks to our ground teams' efforts, the Klingon civil engineers reporting to General Mek'rung, the system's new military governor, now have the proper data for submission through diplomatic channels to assure the assistance of Starfleet's Colonization and Terraforming Fleet in the continued cleanup and rebuilding efforts. It is my hope that within five years' time, those ruins will be scrubbed clean of the primary and secondary effects of the radiation, heat, and blast, and new cities will stand where the old ones fell. Five years to do what would take unassisted nature millenia." He looks around the Bridge of the small Light Escort with a satisfied smile. The pride of the Engineer: Let's improve on Nature. "Doctors Park and Malloy tell me that the injuries sustained by Misters Alarcon and Laco and Takamura are light enough that they can be released from sickbay by tomorrow, shortly before our return to the station ... and that the remaining members of the ground teams shall have completed decontamination any minute now. I have ordered a standard cruising speed of Warp 7.5, giving us 26 more hours in our journey. After three days in orbit around a planet not yet resurrected from the dead, It will be good to be home." He touches the little command console built into the Center Seat's armrest, closing the log for now.
Park enters the bridge with a PADD in hand and moves over toward the railing to report in. "We've gotten all the injured stabalized, Captain. Assorted abrasions and contusions, a couple of broken bones. Hiroshi took the worst of it and had a skill fracture, but he'll be right as rain in about 48 hours. The others can return to duty in 24.", he says.
Turtledove walks onto the bridge and, with a brief look at the Captain's chair, walks to Tactical, relieving the holo-officer there with a polite smile. Settling in, she performs a few routine system checks, as per the norm.
Medes quietly taps at her holoconsole, listening almost absentmindedly to Ghorev's log. There's an involuntary flinch evident -- her hand twitches on her console just once -- as the injured are named, that millisecond before she remembers: simulation. She glances up at Park as he steps in, offering a nod of greeting to both him and to Turtledove before she goes back to tapping at the engineering console. Tappity. Taptap.
Ghorev looks up. "Excellent, Doctor." He swivels slightly in the command well. "I presume the radiation damage was as light as we hoped?" This was, clearly, a great concern, especially since physical damage can always tear EVA suits. "Mister Alarcon and myself were badly exposed once, and I'd rather not tell her husband she's suffered permanent chromosomal damage. He might poison my drink one night."
Tyler steps onto the holographic bridge and makes her way towards the tactical area. As she passes the Bald Engineer (not to be confused with the Blue Engineer) she gives the woman a smile. Stopping beside Turtledove, Tyler says to Ghorev, "Not if we do it first, sir." She prays he takes it for the joke it is, giving him a wink.
Stewart enters, and then looks around the bridge quickly. For the moment he just takes up a 'standby' position near the doors, not moving to occupy a station yet.
Park chuckles and says, "We got them out quickly enough that no one suffered any permanent damage. I think your drinks are safe for now." After Tyler makes her comment, he adds with a wink, "Well, except perhaps from your crew."
. o O Tyler's feeling confident, but there's something nagging at her mind. Something horrible, terrible, and black.
Medes's expression tightens just so at the mention of previous radiation exposure, as if something's just occured to her which hadn't before. She glances briefly up at Ghorev before offering Tyler a smile that's likely more wan than she intends for it to be. Stewart's appearance manages to brighten her expression a little.
. o O Medes thinks "Prophets, I hadn't even thought about that. What if the Acropolis did that to me?"
Turtledove gives Tyler a surprised half-grin, and possibly can't help but glance at Ghorev. To Tyler she says, "And a good evening to you, Lt."
Ghorev murmurs, "I'll bear that in mind, and check my replicator daily," drily, as he rises. Then he grows more serious. "Mister Tyler, the ready room, please. I want an advance debriefing of the summary of your findings." He flicks a glance to the Engineering station. "Mister Medes, you have the bridge until my return.
Tyler flashes her smile to Tera. Before she can respond though, Ghorev's calling her away. "Aye, sir," says to Ghorev, following briskly on the heels of the Andorian. As she passes Stewart, she gives him a respectful nod.
Stewart inclines her head back to Tyler in a nod, "Sir." He then turns over towards Medes, lifting his hand in a wave. "Wasn't expecting to see you here. But certainly good to do so."
Ghorev moves from the command chair, and up to the 'outer ring' of the bridge, but waits by the ready room door for Medes to settle into the Much Bigger Than Her chair, before departing.
"Understood, Boss," Medes responds to Ghorev, closing out the Engineering terminal and rising from her chair. She moves up to the Big Chair and clambers into it, her tiny body looking almost absurd in the chair, like someone's kid sister playing at Starfleet. Look at me! I'm in command! Her expression, however, belies that impression, being Standard Medes Serious.
. o O Turtledove thinks "Don't look down, Wendy. You've earned this. You can do this."
Ghorev disappears with Tyler into the ready room, and, once the camera angles shift to display the small, cramped room-for-three-only-if-nobody-breathes closet that passes for such on USS Thomas Paine, he motions for the young officer to have a seat.
Tyler moves to sit down in the cramped conditions. She looks at Ghorev curiously.
Ghorev folds his hands on the desktop. "First, General Mek'rung sends what I am told passes for heartfelt gratitude among old, bold, Klingon military men. Apparently, the people had monitoring you were paying particular attention to Mister Takamura right around the time he went down. They send their respects, their appreciation at his raw fortitude in surviving the collapse at all, and their hope that his scars will be considered battle-scars by us, and worn with pride."
"I'm just glad he's alive, Captain," Tyler replies.
. o O Tyler reflects on the loss of a crewman during her first ground command. She mentally admonishes herself.
Ghorev says, "I know. Which brings me to my second point, before we begin the debriefing..." He clearly considers how best to put this: "I know that, especially given your complaint a few months back about the poor use of your people by us, about how we ignore Timefleet's RRT cover even when that cover, and the resultant training, make your people more suited for a mission than general duty officers, the past few weeks may seem like an awfully big overcompensation." He looks serious, wan. "I want you to know that despite the injuries and stress, despite the short tempers, I appreciate the way you all stepped up to the plate. I'll be authorizing a small, full dress dinner upon our return to th station, to take the place of the usual Technologists' Bruncheon. It will be my way of saying thanks."
Tyler gives him a slight smile at his praise and validation of RRT. "Thank you, sir," she says earnestly. "I'll be glad to cook for it."
Ghorev says, "Just stay away from my drink, Lieutenant." A 'gotcha' smile. "That's all I ask. Now, for the debriefing...."
And with that, the scene shifts back to the Bridge proper...
Turtledove taps her fingers on her console absently, watching the viewscreen. To no one in particular, she remarks, "Everything /looks/ normal enough. So far."
Park moves over to the science station, since that one's vacant anyway. "It always looks normal before the storm hits, Tera.", he says with a grin.
Stewart continues standing around at the ready, waiting while the basic matters are taken care of. "That would be because it's before the storm has hit."
Golden steps through the doors to Holodeck II.
Golden has arrived.
Turtledove sends a grin back over to Park and nods to Stewart. "Indeed. Well, perhaps we can tell a few jokes or sing some songs then, while we all wait for the hammer to fall?" She looks at Park, expectantly, grinning.
<CONTEST> Turtledove contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Park says, "Ok, so this bear is chasing a rabbit down a road and the rabbit trips over a lamp that's lying in the middle of it..............."
Golden steps onto the bridge from the turbolift after completing decontimation and gear stowage below, after sweeping the bridge with a studied gaze to see who is where and doing what, he quietly siddles up beside stewart and takes a few more minutes to assess the current operational activities ongoing.
Park contines, at his own peril. "So a jenie pops out and says if the stop fighting that he'll grant both of them 2 wishes each. The agree and the bear goes first."
. o O Medes thinks "They really ought to put height control on those damn chairs."
Park grins over at Turtledove and says, "Stop me if you're heard this one."
Medes, watching the bridge for Ghorev with all the faithful devotedness inherent in her usual lupine metaphor, pretty much just lets people do what they do in getting set up. She swings one of her feet idly, watching Park with a raised eyebrow, and her toes barely graze the floor.
Turtledove's eyebrows perk at Park's promising preamble, but before she can become too interested, the Tactical console draws her in. She regards the console curiously, then taps a few commands in rapid succession.
<CONTEST> Turtledove contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Golden whispers to Stewart, " Anything alarming happening I should be aware of, aside from Doctor Park telling jokes, that is?"
Park says, "Guess I'll tell you the punchline later."
Stewart shakes his head to Golden, "Not yet. We're just waiting on the briefing right now. I'm sure when things start exploding, we'll all notice."
Golden nods to Stewart and pats his shoulder then he strolls quietly to a position near the tactical station to read surrepticiously over Turtledove's shoulder.
Turtledove eyes her console thoughtfully, then says, "Speaking of which, Lt. Medes, I've picked up what looks like the beginnings of a distress call. The transmission was cut-off before the system could lock onto the transponder code... but I've traced it to System 73388." She looks at Medes, all business. "That's an uninhabited system, sir."
Medes's eyes shift to Turtledove, and she blinks a few times before starting to issue orders. "Tera, pull up all available information on System 73388, please. Commander Park, see what you can find, if anything, on the sensors." She glances toward Stewart, then, and finds a Golden standing next to him. "Lieutenant." It's a statement phrased as a question, which is to say: you want the big chair?
Park gives Medes a nod and goes about scanning the immediate area.
Turtledove nods readily to Medes, as well, and sets about information gathering.
"Now things are exploding. Metaphorically, if not literally." Stewart continues leaning up against the wall, but then adds, "And what should I handle at the moment, if anything?"
Golden gestures to the Engineer that she can keep the big chair for the moment and asks, "Do you think if the message is on a repetative cycle that perhaps the rest of the message might be found within the various data picked up by the passive scans of the lateral sensors? I wouldn't be the one to extract such, but it might be there and that might be helpful."
<CONTEST> Turtledove contests her Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Park contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
Golden moves over to the Mission Operations station to have a seat until the first string bridge officers make an appearance.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Medes notes to Golden, apparently both for his suggestion, which receives a nod as she brings up Engineering functions on the Command chair. "Mister Stewart. Tactical, please."
Park doesn't glance up from his console. "Looks like a group of planetoids that just happened to have gotten pulled into a regular orbit, Captain. Sensors indictate that they have never been able to support life. I show nothing unusual.", he reports.
Turtledove glances at Golden, welcoming him with bright, warm eyes, as he moves to take a station. She returns her attention to her console as she relays her information to Medes. "According to the database, System 73388 is a completely barren system, consisting of a sun, and some rocky planetoids. No planets suitable for either mining or terra-forming."
Medes pauses then, shaking her head slightly and glancing at Turtledove. "Sorry, Tera. Jimmy, take Ops. Pick up a couple new skills while you're there." She offers her cousin a subdued little smile.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Stewart takes his seat, after relieving the holocrewmember previously occupying it. "Aye. And just hope nothing pressing comes up while I'm picking up those skills. It probably doesn't help anything if Tyler fails if I accidentally eject the core while looking for the seat tilt."
Tap. Taptap. Tappity. Medes's forehead crinkles up, and she stares at her console. "Tera, what do we have on the sun for System 73388, please." She mutters quietly, "This can't be right," and taps at her console a few more times. The cramped Command console seems to be hampering her movements somewhat, and frustration flickers briefly across her face. Nevertheless, still shaking her head, she taps her combadge and says, "Lt. JG Medes to Commander Ghorev."
. o O Medes thinks "... into the /sun?/ This just can't be right."
"Since it was the mating season, the bear needed to mate desperately, so he wished all the other bears in the forest to be female. And the Genie made it so. Then the bear, being a little slow, suddenly had a brainstorm, so he wished all other bears within a hundred kilometers to be female. And again the Genie made it so. Finally the bear thought to himself, why not have mates for the rest of his life? So he asked for all the bears in the world, except for himself, to be female. And poof! The genie makes it so. And with that, the bear ran out of wishes." Tyler says. She opens her mouth to finish the last part of the joke, when Ghorev is hailed. She drops silent.
Ghorev waits expectantly. And then realizes he's being hailed. His conscious brain catches that a split second after his fingers have already tapped his combadge. "Ghorev here," he replies, as mouth and brain and body all catch up to each other.
"Boss, Lt. Turtledove picked up an abrogated distress signal coming from System 73388; it's a completely barren and uninhabited system." Medes breaks right in without preface, starting a rundown of the situation while still staring down at her console with a furrowed brow. "Checking the data from the lateral sensor's passive scans, I've found an extremely faint subspace trail that seems to lead directly into the sun, though that can't be right. I'm rechecking my data now and informing you as per regulations. It is a verified legitimate distress call."
Ghorev says, "On my way." He rises. Taps badge. Then says to Tyler, even as he's making his way to the door, "Let's go."
Park stands up from his station once someone else jumps on the sensors. "I should get back down to the Infirmary, Captain.", he says. "I'll keep you posted if anything changes." With that, he enters the turbolift and extis.
Park steps out of the holodeck.
Park has left.
Tyler stands up and follows Ghorev onto the bridge dutifully. She straightens the waist of her jumpsuit.
Ghorev moves to the chair immediately, as he emerges from the ready room, motioning for Medes to take back Engineering.
GAME: Turtledove spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Turtledove (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
Golden consults the Mission Operations station for lateral and long range tracking data that might indicate if any other vessels are or were closer to the vicinity of the distress call by having the computer run a simple data search for any hits meeting that criteria.
Medes sends the information she's gathered back to her own console, sets the controls back to their original configuration, and removes herself from the Big Chair, sliding down to stand up. Ahem. The little engineer clears her throat slightly and, once Tyler and Ghorev are back on the bridge, moves back to Engineering. Ahh, engineering.
Tyler moves towards the science station briskly. She begins to pull up the sensor data on the event in question.
GAME: Golden spends a courage point.
<PROVE> Tyler has the merit of Mathematical Ability at 3.
<CONTEST> Golden (claiming advantage) contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Tyler (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
Turtledove concentrates, eyes focused and mind engaged, as she scans the far-off system's Sun for... anything. Her brow furrows as she says, "I'm not detecting anything unusual around or about that Sun." She eyes the console, unsatisfied with her readings.
Stewart does a quick, routine check of all his various readouts. Finding everything in order, he just waits for the moment, ready to perform the appropriate tasks at the appropriate time.
Ghorev says, "Well, *something* made that call, even if it didn't finish it. Keep searching."
"There's a ship out there, Oberth class, SS Omar Khayyam" Tyler says grimly, her eyes locked on the science instruments. "Captain, it's making a tight solar pass. It's gaining warp speed - and I think it's about to try and make a time jump."
<CONTEST> Tyler contests her Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Golden says, "Checking the lateral and long range sensor datalog," Goldens says turning in his seat for a moment, "The Thomas Paine is closer to the distress call currently; /there is/ another vessel who's flight path would allow them to divert to that area, as Lt Tyler indicated -- the SS Omar Khayyam -- Federation Registry, decommissioned Oberth-Class science/surveyer. Currently it's registered to the Sodo-Hang Consortium out of Titan, consortium H.Q. is on Jupiter Station though. Standard complement on that edition of the vessel is 73."
Medes reorients herself to her console at taps her console a few times, brow furrowed as she listens to the speech swirling around herself.
Turtledove's eyebrows quirk as she glances from Tyler to Golden.
. o O Turtledove thinks "Time jump, eh?"
Stewart keeps his hands on the console, ready to act. For now, he just keeps his ears open, listening in on the discussions around him.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Propulsion Engineering (Warp) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Ghorev leans forward in his seat. "Mister Stewart, open a channel to that ship. Tight beam. I want them to have no doubt that we know they're there. Ask them if they require assistance."
The young Lieutenant walks across the bridge from the science console and to Ghorev's side. "Commander, as per standing Starfleet regulation 28776, Article 13, Subsection 4, Paragraph A, I relieve you of command of this vessel, as the ranking representative of the Federation Science Council on board the Thomas Paine," Tyler says confidently. Without waiting for Ghorev's response, she orders, "James, carry on. Dylan, contact their last known ports of call. Find out what they were up to. Mr. Graham," Tyler says to Hall O. Graham, sitting at the conn. "Take us toward that ship, maximum speed."
"Aye Aye, sir." Golden responds turning back to face his console, directing the terminal to formulate a list of the vessels last ports of call and sending a pre-emptive inquiry via subspace to Pluto Station which can legally scan vessels coming in and out of Sol space with the hope that at least they might have a recent detailed lateral sensor scan that might indicate upon further consideration any telling modifications to the aged vessel.
"Bos... " Medes's voice trails off, and she shifts her attention to Tyler, then. "Sir, I've found a clear warp trail leading back. They were heading toward the Klingon border before they deviated course. They've cut far, far too close to the sun, however, and... by my estimations, they're having to really struggle and adjust dramatically just to keep from being pulled into it." Her fingers move confidently over the Engineering console, calloused and stubby little hands perfectly at home here.
<CONTEST> Golden contests his Administration (Starbase) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Turtledove's mouth curves upward slightly as she turns her attention from Tyler to the Tactical console. In the meantime, she takes the opportunity to quickly review the specifications of the Oberth-class vessel.
Stewart taps at the console to open up the channel, "Not getting any response, even though I'm pretty sure they hear me. Frequency is open, if you have anything to say. Sir." He looks over towards Tyler.
Ghorev rises from the chair, without a word, and stands off to one side.
Tyler sits down in the chair. She raises her voice. "SS Omar Khayyam this is Lieutenant Wendy Tyler of the USS Thomas Paine. If you do not divert from your present course we will be forced to destroy you. Shields up, arm weapons. Terminate transmission," she says to the Omar Khayyam, Tera Turtledove and James Stewart. She swivels towards Medes. "Thea, we need a way to knock them off course. Basically collapse part of their warp field in such a way to make them fire off in a straight line instead of allowing them to complete more orbits. And we need it quick. Because I can't let them make that jump."
"Captain, the last port of call was on Fimdari. They filed a flight plan for H'atoria with full load of passengers. While I run the backtrail of their passage I'll route the passenger manifest to Ops so that Mister Stewart can run that list of names against the DTI watchfile list, sir." Golden says this with a slight turn of his head, his fingers still working on running the back path of the Omar Khayyam. He asks while he runs his data check, "If we have to go solar to save that vessel, what is the spanner time to reconfigure for a temporary metaphasic shield modulation, is it doable and how will it affect our other operational needs Commander Ghorev or Lieutenant Medes?"
<CONTEST> Golden contests his Administration (Starbase) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
GAME: Tyler spends a courage point.
. o O Tyler's confident and collect, but clearly worried about having to carry through with the threat of destruction.
"On it, sir," Medes replies to Tyler, letting Golden's comments wash over her. Who? What? Sorry, didn't hear that. Won't recall it later. It's almost visible on her face, the chain of events. Incomprehension. Realisation that she really doesn't need to know. Denial. Calm.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Propulsion Engineering (Warp) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
<CONTEST> Turtledove contests her Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Turtledove complies with the order, nodding once before proceeding. As she finishes, she looks at Tyler. "Just FYI. They raised shields almost as soon as they were hailed." Looking back at her console, she continues researching the systems shields.
<CONTEST> Stewart contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!
"Termination transmitted." Stewart leans in closer to the console, getting a better angle. "Running the list of names now. Uhh... where's that file again? Give me a minute or two. If we have a minute or two."
<CONTEST> Ghorev contests his Propulsion Engineering (Warp) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
Ghorev, standing near the center seat, in the command well, simply turns his head to Golden. "This ship couldn't handle the power drain of emergency metaphasic modulation. We'd end up dead in space at best, with exploding conduits at worse. I can get belowdecks and work some magic to give us some slight *thicker* shielding if we're going to keep one side in and not do any fancy maneuvering," then he looks to Tyler, "but that's the best I can buy you." Not having been asked directly about the warp field, and not able to hazard and off-hand guess, he offers no opinion on that.
GAME: Turtledove spends a courage point.
Tyler smiles slightly at Golden's calling her Captain - and recognition of her chief complaint of the buoy mission. He's such a brown noser. Upon hearing Stewart, she frowns at his unprofessional response. She does not, however, take him to task. "Mr. Stewart, have a boarding party standing by in the transporter room as a backup contingency," she says to him. She turns towards Ghorev. "Is it possible to nudge him off course with the Paine? Matching their warp field, speed and trajectory, and essentially run him off the solar road as it were?"
<CONTEST> Turtledove (claiming advantage) contests her Systems Engineering (Shields) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
. o O Tyler's loathe to destroy the ship. Her inward wheels are spinning fast as she thinks about the problem, turns it over in her mind, and peeks into the dark corners for the solution.
Golden nods his head as the Commander explains the difficulties of Metaphasic remodulation and continues to make inquiries about the previous stops of the target vessel and any modifications it might have had. "Captain as an aside, perhaps you can make them voluntarily divert course by initiating a solar flare into thier flight path; it would require a tweaked probe payload or a torpedo if we can gain enough on them -- but if they didn't vear or if the solar activity did not react as projected it could also destroy them with all hands or even cause us damage so it would be a risky resolution at best, sir." He then focuses on his search remembering that in this setting it's not his job to throw options to Tyler, it's his job to do what he is told.
<CONTEST> Golden contests his Administration (Starbase) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Medes shakes her head as she works, her mouth set into a thin line. "I can't... no. I... I'm sorry, sir, I can't manage that. I'll give it another try, but... "
GAME: Ghorev spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Propulsion Engineering (Warp) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Turtledove's eyes spark with faint recognition as she regards the shield specs. Her eyebrows descend, her brow furrowing with thought. Following Golden's lead, she says, "Captain, their shields are a little weird... not your usual merchant-grade issue, they're... some kind of really old military grade." She pauses, peering at her console. "The shield pattern is oddly familiar, but I'm not sure why." She taps at her console, attempting to pull up some information that will help her to jog her memory.
"Aye." Stewart taps at the consoles, sending a message down to main security to shuttle a team off to the transporter bay, armed and ready. "Should I keep working on the list of names, or is that not a priority at this time, sir?"
Ghorev considers the condundrum, and nods. "I believe that's possible, Captain." He stalks over to Flight Control, and formally relieves the holographic Ensign Graham, settling into his seat. Ghorev. At Flight Control. He pulls up the appropriate information. "I might have something workable before we get there. If not, we'll be doing this by the seats of our pants."
"Negative, Dylan, a flare could create gravimetric disturbances that has too high of a risk of actually having the opposite of the intended effect." Tyler gives a nod to Golden before looking toward Stewart. "Please." Tyler turns back to the viewscreen. "Do it," she says to Ghorev. She tacks on, "Sir." Then, with a turn towards Mr. Graham, she orders, "Take us in. Match velocity and trajectory and pull us along side them. Tera, repeat the transmission to them."
GAME: Tyler spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Tyler (claiming advantage) contests her Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
"Before Fimdari, the Vulcan Colony of Beta Madri II, before that, Vulcan itself." Golden continues to rattle off the previous stops of the suspect vessel.
<CONTEST> Golden contests his Administration (Starbase) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Stewart (claiming advantage) contests his Computer (Research) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Propulsion Engineering (Warp) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Turtledove (claiming advantage) contests her Systems Engineering (Shields) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Tyler (claiming advantage) contests her Physical Sciences (Temporal Physics) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Tap. Tappita. Taptaptaptap. "Okay. I think I've come up with something, sir," Medes addresses Tyler, her eyes fixed on her console. "In /theory,/ we could... " Taptaptaptappity. "If the Boss brings the Paine close enough alongside and can get our warp field with theirs closely enough, we could /feed/ them some of our warp field, basically push it off on them, and /if/ we do it at the right time, it could imbalance them. If we do it at the right time, things are lined up correctly, and, ah, in theory, I must stress. But it's /possible./"
Turtledove draws back while Medes reports, blinking away her previous thought process as she repeats the transmission. "Transmission re-transmitted, Captain." The break in activity does her good. The transmission sent, she returns to the shield pattern. And she sees the light. "Captain. It's an old ADF shield frequency." She peers at the Tactical console. "I might be able to offset the shields sufficiently to breach it with a single, unsustained phaser or torpedo shot, or transporter beam."
Stewart calls out, "Got at least one match. Doctor Tyvar, Vulcan. Not sure what or why, but we know that he's on board. I don't have any more details for you than that right now. But of course, most of the names are innocents."
"And... we have a reply to the hail. Putting it on. You're live."
A handful of humans on a viewscreen. One of them seems to be wearing at leas tsomething resembling the civilian version of a personnel jumpsuit, as if he's someone 'official' from the renegade little patchwork ship. The others ... not at all. All of them, at first glance, are human ... but weird. The ones that aren't dressed entirely in black, or in white, are in rainbows of hideous patterns and colors. One of the black-clad fellows has mussed hair, a wicked grin ... and a firearm of some kind aimed squarely at the fellow in the uniform. "Hi there," he says, insouciantly. "I'm afraid the Captain can't come out and play right now. Will I do?"
"You have two minutes to comply, or I will blow that ship out of the sky," Tyler threatens the viewscreen. She tries to look menacing when she says it, narrowing her eyes and straightening her shoulders in a way that smacks directly of Sinclaire's body language.
. o O Medes thinks "... I've never seen Tyler /look/ like that."
<CONTEST> Stewart contests his Intellect (Perception) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
"Well, if that's your idea of a pick-up line, baby, that's cool. But, frankly, my people and I all knew the risks when we arranged this little party. Either we're going where we like, or we're going to Oblivion, and either way, that's cool." He smiles, and the eyeing he's giving Tyler's image on the viewscreen smacks of lewd thoughts. "I'm sure it wouldn't be so nice for the crew here, though. You got a name, baby, or should I just call you Ishtar, my Lady of Babylon?"
. o O Tyler's a lie. She feels for the man getting the phaser pointed at him, and doesn't want to hurt these people. "But I will if I have to," she says to herself.
GAME: Golden spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Golden (claiming advantage) contests his Physical Sciences (Temporal Physics) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
"Get him off my viewscreen," Tyler barks. She spins toward Ghorev and Medes. "Progress?"
. o O Turtledove feels an urge to glance at Tyler, curious, but she suppresses it so as to not give the appearance of undermining Tyler's authority.
Stewart continues flipping through the list idly while Tyler and them talk, and then does a double-take. "It's a tour. It's all rich people. Those whack jobs are selling tickets for a tour through time."
Ghorev does not turn around. His skilled hands continue to dance rapidly across the flight control console. "I'm bringing us in as best we can get, Captain, but I'll need to know the final plan -- are we simply matching vector and extending shields to harass their calculations, or are we squeezing them as Mister Medes has suggested, or... something else?" There are, after all, at least *5* possible plans, if one counts all of Turtledove's suggestions.
Wendy reacts to Stewart's news by wrinkling up her nose. "Squeeze them out of orbit. Otherwise we'll just be doing loops. I want them away from that sun so Tera can knock out their shields safely and we can board them," Tyler says. She turns back towards Golden. "Inform the crew that we're about to get a little toasty, Dylan."
<CONTEST> Tyler (claiming advantage) contests her Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
"Aye aye, sir." Dylan pushes the mission operations button which activates the Red Alert signal and then activates the vessel com saying in a calm, steady voice -- "Attention All Hands, Attention All Hands, secure for Anterior Solar operations, Divisions Heads report when your section is secure. That is all." He then turns in his seat saying, "Captain, the trail started in the Sol system, I did a quick modeling of their temporal entrance and exit vector and ran it across the system database -- according to our records this system has never had life; that means they are deliberately aiming for a lifeless rock /or/ they are angling for a temporal environ where the Klingon border was more pourous, to what end I cannot determine. It occurs to me though sir, if that vessel was decommissioned, it may be possibly so that the old Commmand and control access codes for fleet operations and counter boarding operations may not have been changed -- if you hailed them again we may be able to ride a signal in through a subsystem router in their sensor package or through the commmunications feed itself that would allow you to deliver the command and control code and transfer higher command functions remotely to this vessel. Not something I've ever done personally, but it was in the counter-piracy operations tactical manual."
Having done everything she can for the moment, Medes listens to Golden's suggestions before glancing up to Tyler. She sucks in her bottom lip thoughtfully and notes, "I think I can do that, sir. I've done similar before."
Turtledove looks at Tyler after Golden finishes speaking. "If you decide to beam over, I'll be able to transport, at most, 4 officers to that vessel during the offset period."
Stewart lifts a hand at that one, "I'll volunteer for boarding duty. I'm probably the most replacable here, but I can actually do some good there. Sir."
Some minutes slip by as Ghorev makes the helm orders given come to pass. Tyler's given her orders, and though requests and offers and insights continue to come in, he's following the game plan. Box 'em in, pinch 'em out, set 'up up for the firing solution. Yes, indeedy. SS Omar Khayyam's hostage crew and de facto masters put up a valiant effort to play a game of space chicken, but the fact that it's 20 percent more massive than Thomas Paine does not make up for seventy or so years of technological advantage, and the skill of trained and experienced Starfleet Officers. The temperature slowly begins to rise, in fact, as the strengthened shields cannot completely compensate for the corona of System 73388's lovely hellish sun as the little escort screams in from empty space to confront the renegade passenger ship. Finally, the shields *do* touch properly. "Mister Medes, we've got the match of course vector, speed, *and* deflector shield harmonics. It's now yours!"
Tyler nods once to Medes. "Do it," Tyler says to the the Littile Engineer that Always Can. "Four's all we need, Tera, they're RRT. Dylan, good suggestion, and I hate to lose you on the bridge, but I want you to spearhead that away team. James, you too, snap to, free that crew. You have authorization to use deadly force - we've seen that they're rather desperate - but I prefer them alive."
"Aye aye sir." Golden stands up from his station gesturing for the holographic replacement and moving to the turbolift, awaiting James before heading for the transporter room.
<PROVE> Golden has the skill Planetary Tactics (Small Unit 4) at least at level 0.
<PROVE> Golden has the skill Planetary Tactics at least at level 4.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
With a wrenching shudder that somehow does *not* tear anything apart, the Oberth is literally *hurled* away from the Paine, rather like, yes, a slippery watermelon seed between the fingers. Or like any iteration Enterprise after any enounter with a godlike force. Whoooooosh. The other ship flounders a bit as it tries to right itself and restabilize. Clearly vulnerable now, though.
GAME: Turtledove spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Turtledove (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Turtledove manages to maintain a grip on her console as she prepares the transporters and readies tactical. "Energizing, Captain."
Stewart gets up away from his chair, turning to follow Golden, leaving his station to be filled by Joe Holo.
And as the systems show the boarding party a go, Ghorev says "Computer, Freeze Program." And it does. And he turns. And just looks at Wendy Tyler for a long moment. And smiles. Oh, he's finally unable to contain that little laugh. "I would have given much latinum to see your face when he was talking to you, you know."
Tyler stands up from her chair and she smiles, blushing. "I probably frowned a little," she admits. She scratches behind her ear. "I hope I did okay, sir?"
Medes rests her hands in her lap, then, idly fiddling with her -- well, Kusto's, technically -- wedding ring as she turns to look at Ghorev and Tyler. Hazel eyes slip between the Andorian and the Terran for a moment, and she looks quietly pleased with herself for a second or two before she goes back to fiddling with said wedding ring and looking down at it.
Turtledove blinks, and pulls back from the simulation. As she looks at Wendy, her grin becomes a warm-hearted and sincere smile, which she carries over to Ghorev, eyes resting quite comfortably on the Andorian Commander.
Ghorev rises from the seat. He nods. "Congratulations, Lieutenant. I'll have to do a formal tally against my scoring algorithm, but I'm sure that you passed. You hit all the major high points, avoiding all the *major* problems. Not a perfect score, but I don't think I know anyone who's *ever* had a perfect score." He nodded. "You did well enough, truly. You even avoided the trap of spending too much time being goaded by crazy old George Gordon. I designed him to be ... rather difficult, I admit. Like his namesake, Lord Byron. Mad, Bad, and Dangerous To Know. If you ask nicely, I'll make the rest of the scenario available in case your people actually want to practice this particularly bizarre boarding action. Overall, good show. Unless there's unfinished business, we adjourn."
Ghorev clears the current program.
"Actually, sir, there's one more thing..." Tyler says. As she walks out with the group she says to Ghorev, "So the rabbit thinks 'I can beat this bear.' So he says to the genie, 'I want all of the rabbits in the world to be women. I want a really fast convertible hovercar. And all of the bears in the world to be lesbians...' And the genie makes it so..."
